A Haunting Moment With Snape
by sandybell
Summary: I was inspired to write this story after I read an interview with Steve Kloves, the screenwriter for the Harry Potter movies. When he said:"The Haunting Moment is, I think, the one of Snape telling Harry to "Hush" just before he kills Dumbledore.


The Harry Potter-verse belongs solely to J.K. Rowling. I merely enjoy wandering through her world and wrecking fictional havoc...

This story was inspired when I read an interview in the Los Angeles Times: Steve Kloves on a 'haunting moment' in 'Half-Blood Prince'. Therefore after watching the movie, I just couldn't shake this bunny out of my head and thought to myself what if Snape reacted differently?

Snape's wand was leveled to Harry's head, gesturing to hush, he pressed a finger to his lips. The DADA professor then beckoned Harry to follow him, when the boy hesitated Snape grasped his elbow in a bruising grip and started dragging the younger wizard after him while the triumph voice of Amycus reverberated through the stone walls; "Dumbledore wandless, Dumbledore alone! Well done, Draco, well done!"

Snape's fingers dug painfully into Harry's arm as he started pulling him in the opposite direction of the Death Eaters and Dumbledore all the way down the spiraling staircase and out into the corridor.

"What are you doing, let go! We should go back to Dumbledore!" Harry spattered in outrage, dragging his feet and attempting in vain to yank his arm free from the strong hand.

"Keep quiet, Potter, I'm just trying to save as time," Snape said his grip tightened on Harry's arm while he continued to drag the young wizard behind him.

"Time! What time! They will bloody kill him! didn't you see the Death Eaters!"

They reached landing after landing and no point did the DADA professor break stride.

"Well obviously I couldn't just barge in there and take them all down, now could I?" The Defense against Dark Arts professor said, finally coming to a halt at a lower storey of the East Tower. Fortunately, they met no students or teachers in the hallways. "What I need to do is prior preventions," Snape said pulling a chain from his pocket.

"What is that thing?" Harry said, the gold hour glass looked familiar, it was the same from his third year, well not exactly the same, this one was much bigger than Hermione's…

"A Time -turner, Potter, surly you are familiar with this device by now?" Snape asked arching an eyebrow.

Oh you have got to be joking. Harry started in with a protest, but Snape pulled him closer with an exasperated sigh, and tossed the chain around both of their necks, then he flipped the hourglass twice and they disappeared.

When the world came back into focus, the sun was shining straight into his Harry's eyes; it was early in the morning.

Harry found himself jogging to keep up with the older wizards' long strides as they strode off towards the far right wall of the corridor. "How do you intend to save him?" Harry asked, panting a little at the effort it was taking to keep up, "How…how do you know what happened?" he followed as Snape walked to the stone wall beside a rusted suit of armor. He tapped five different stones, and the wall began to pull itself open, the stones turning out until a doorway appear.

"You will tell me" Snape said in a matter of fact tone, before he muttered the password to his chambers under his breath and the door obligingly opened for him, Snape swept past Harry walked through his parlor and stood to one side, glaring at the younger wizard through narrow eyes.

"In."

Once inside the surprisingly spacious rooms, Snape headed for an oak door to his left beckoning Harry towards him. The boy hesitated but followed the older wizard, and found himself in a tastefully appointed wood paneled study. On both the left- and right-hand walls, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves were filled with leather-bound tomes, giant calfskin folio volumes to tiny octavos. Several of them had titles in languages he did not recognise. A solid, expansive desk backed by a triple-window bay faced into the room. The desk chair was maroon velvet outfitted with silver nail heads. Two sofas faced one another, each set before a bookcase.

"Well, now that the pleasantries are over, perhaps we can get down to business,

I need to know exactly what happened since you had accompanied the headmaster this afternoon," Snape said leaning down and looking Harry in the eye. "In . full . Details ," Snape clipped out almost soundlessly, tilting his head towards another corner where a stone basin not unlike that of the headmaster was waiting.

"What?"

"You heard me - use the Pensive. Take the memory out of your head and let me see it," He dragged Harry up to the desk then let go of his arm with a slight shove.

"I can't tell you anything!" exclaimed Harry. "I gave my word to Professor Dumbledore!"

'You can and you will, Mr. Potter,' Snape eyes glittered dangerously as he backed Harry up against the desk. He looked like he wanted to hit the boy. Instead, he reached around Harry and laid the Time-turner on the desk. "It's simple, Potter, do you want to save the headmasters life or not," Snape said

Harry swallowed, nodding, and looked doubtfully at the floor. "Er . . . Well of course I want to save him, but-"

"No buts, Potter, the headmaster is in grave danger, and what I am doing right now is trying to save his life," Snape hissed. "Now come along, boy, I don't have all day,"

Following the sharp directing finger of the Defence Professor, Harry reluctantly walked to the Pensive, he put his wand to his temple and withdrew the memory and with outmost care dropped it into the water clear shimmering liquid. He drew a deep breath before plunging his face into the bowl. Harry felt his feet leave the study floor and once again he fell through darkness and landed on an expanse of flat dark stone; the small island of smooth rock in the center of the lake. Snape landed beside Harry just as Dumbledore approached the stone basin rather like the Pensieve, which was set on top of a pedestal.

Snape stood at the opposite side facing the headmaster, when Dumbledore stretched out the tips of his burned fingers over the stone basin so did Snape ...it was quite unnerving to watch them both doing exactly the same movements, it looked like the headmaster was facing a mirror, what was even more disconcerting for Harry was for the fact that Snape's eyes were actually closed. When Dumbledore drew his wand, Snape did the same thing with a split of a second delay; they raised their wands and made complicated movements over the surface of the-potion, murmuring soundlessly.

Had Harry not been so distracted with the horror of reliving one of the worst moments of his life, he would have noticed Snape unusual behavior, because normally you can only watch the memory as it is, no one can be more than a passive observer, certainly not going about someone else's memory casting spells and enchantments.

Harry and his Pensieve self remained silent while Dumbledore and Snape worked, but after a while the headmaster with-drew his wand, however, Snape remained with his wand hand still outstretched before him.

"You think the Horcrux is in there, sir?" the Pensieve Harry asked

"Oh yes." Dumbledore peered more closely into the basin. Almost absentmindedly, Dumbledore raised his wand again, twirled it once in midair, and then caught the crystal goblet that he had conjured out of nowhere. "I can only conclude that this potion is supposed to be drunk."

Harry saw Snape's eyes fly open. His calm detachment disappeared for a spare moment and he looked rattled. "You wouldn't…." he said staring directly at the headmaster.

But Dumbledore was already lowering the crystal goblet into the potion, and then lifted it to his mouth. "Your good health, Harry." And he drained the goblet.

Harry had to be witness to that terrible moment once again when he had forced the goblet back toward Dumbledore's mouth and tipped it, so that the headmaster drank the remainder of the potion inside.

"That's quite enough, Potter," said Snape quietly, back to being unperturbed. "Let us go. . . ."

When Harry landed back on the study floor Snape was already moving towards his desk, Harry sat down on the nearest armchair panting and feeling more upset about the whole situation. "I still don't see why you needed to ....." he began.

"So I can conduct the appropriate cure, you twit!" Snape snarled impatiently as he walked over to the desk and retrieved the Time-Turner sitting on top of it. Obviously Harry wasn't the only one who was shaken by what had happened. "Among all the foolish things to do," the DADA teacher was muttering to himself before turning to walk into the receiving room. From there he headed to his laboratory. Snape wasted no time by setting a cauldron and started to prepare the ingredients.

Meanwhile Harry had abandoned his seat in favor to follow the older wizard and then hover in the doorway. The laboratory was very interesting. The walls were lined with rows upon rows of jars containing peculiar objects floating in various substances. It was spotless, almost like the schools infirmary. The stainless steel lab table used to chop ingredients was so shiny you could see your face in it. It had a small sink built into it. Knives and small scrapers and other tools to cut, pound, and dice were in the drawer on the table. On top of it rested several mortars and pestles. There was even a stand with different sizes of ladles, measuring devices, and scales.

Along the back and sides were several large cabinets, some were locked and some weren't. Inside sat a multitude of bottles and jars, all medicines, all labeled neatly with names and dates. Harry was taken aback as he suddenly realized that almost every medicinal potion for any ailment of any student was sitting there under Snape's guard. Harry had always assumed Madam Pomfrey made them all, but now he knew better.

There was another large shelf that held various sizes and types of cauldrons, from a tiny thimble sized gold one to a huge wrought iron black one.

Five workstations stood in the middle of the room. Only one was currently in use. Unsure what to do, Harry thought maybe he could offer to help the man.

"Um...sir, do you need any help…?" he trailed off as Snape -who was cutting what appeared to be a dragon heartstring- stopped, slowly raised his head and arched a single eyebrow at him, Harry flustered. "I'll just, um, go…now…right." he backed off from the doorway to wander around Snape's inner sanctum.

He looked at his surroundings. The room was enormous. The inside wall on the right showcased an ornate, oversized fireplace with an intricately-carved mantle in the same stone that graced the floors. Gold embellished accents glinted around the room. Gold ivy sectioned the walls and oil paintings were prominently displayed. The high vaulted ceiling had large punk roses blooming across it. The wall to the left had a bay window into which luxuriously-upholstered window seat had been set. The wall to the right had two heavy oak doors; the door adjoining to the study was partly open. Harry craned his neck intending to sneak a look at what was behind the woodwork door and nearly fell over his face when it swung open to reveal an unusual sight.

"Woah," Harry said in wonder taking in the view of the huge cylinder aquarium, complete with fish, aquatic plants and coral. It took a fairly considerable portion of the room and it nearly reached the ceiling with an expensive pine trim, superbly crafted as a crown, to finish the impressive masterpiece. It was like nothing Harry had ever seen before. It emitted a warm blueish green light that gave the room a serene and cosy ambience.

The room also featured two, oversized golden cream chaises flanking the huge glass tank and a casual seating area on the far side of the room. Floor-length curtains in restful aqua and lavender colours, and a window running the entire length of the room showing from behind the semi-transparent curtains.

Harry tore his gaze from the engaging sight before him to look at the DADA professor progress.

Snape worked…gracefully, that was the only way to describe the older wizard's movements between the boiling cauldron to the cabinet and back, cutting, chopping then adding ingredients with fluid motions.

Harry's jaw dropped in utter shock when Snape took the Time-turner and with outmost care placed the chain around the now shimmering cauldron. He flipped the hourglass four times. The potion made a hissing sound bubbling over the edge of the cauldron then retreating again all the while Snape was stirring it counter clockwise with a wooden ladle. Then he tapped the time-tuner three times. The potion released a purple fume that merged into dark blue as the older wizard kept stirring it counter clockwise again but this time with a crystal ladle.

It went on and on, with Snape tapping the Time-turner every once in a while, and changing stirring direction clockwise then counter clock wise, his hands moved smoothly among the implements and ingredients, with the same controlled flow.

Harry went over and sat Indian-style in the window seat, facing the lab and waiting. Withthe measured movements and the soft sound of Snape brewing to lull him, Harry soon fell into a doze.

He was roused from his light sleep by a chiming of a glass, Harry blinked a couple of times before his face split into a grin he couldn't quite help; Snape had finished his potion a few minutes earlier and was now decanting it into a clear glass phial, the liquid inside a pearly mauve.

Harry remained silent while he watched the older wizard as he crossed to the sofa in the receiving room but didn't sit down; instead he went to a side cabinet and lifted the latch; Snape removed a big leather case from the top shelf and sat it down on a nearby coffee table.

"What are you getting, sir?" Harry asked stupidly relaxing a little, realizing his worst fears had not been founded. Snape was doing his best to save the headmaster's life, he wasn't a traitor. It didn't mean he was comfortable about it, it just meant he didn't feel immediately threatened.

'A little present for our dear friends,' Snape replied, not bothering to look at Harry and he didn't elaborate further. He opened the case took out a vial of some dark blue potion that Harry hadn't seen before, with a clink, he placed the small bottle on the coffee table, then an ornate silver box. He lifted the lid just a tiny bit; a bright light emerged and Snape closed the lid again. He put the box into his pocket along with the potion vials.

Harry stood and followed the older wizard as he headed to the door. They were greeted with the deepening winter twilight, making Harry wonder just how long he spent in Snape's quarters. They began their ascent up the stairs, along dark corridors and up disused stair cases, past slumbering portraits and dozing suits of armour. The empty halls echoed their footfalls as they traveled back towards the Astronomy Tower.

After seven flights of stairs Snape finally stopped on the landing at the bottom of the Astronomy Tower. Upon arriving Harry could clearly hear the Snape in the tower arguing with Dumbledore…

"Has it ever crossed your brilliant mind that I don't want to do this anymore?"

"Whether it has or hasn't it's irrelevant, I will not negotiate with you Severus, you agreed. Nothing more to discuss,"

"Come along Potter, we still have time yet," Snape said brusquely, he turned on his heel and made for the stairs once again down one staircase, then another, along a new corridor with Harry following not far behind him.

"What now?" the young man inquired as he skidded to a halt at a short distance from the DADA professor, who stood at a window staring out at the night sky.

"We wait"

Harry slid down to the hard stone floor, hugging his

knees with his back to the cold wall. He didn't know how long they had to wait, he wasn't sure how long his journey earlier with Dumbledore had lasted, and it might have taken hours.

Minutes felt like hours as time ticked by.

After what seemed like ages they heard footsteps, as a figure run toward the spiraling staircase, Harry leapt to his feet.

"It's Malfoy!" Harry made to go after the blond wizard but Snape stopped him. "Be patient, Potter" he said quietly.

A few minutes later more and more footsteps were heard as the Death eaters rushed to the tower, Harry tried to follow them but Snape's hand on his shoulder halted him. "Not. Yet" Snape hissed in his ear.

Finally they saw Snape came charging out of seemingly nowhere, running to the tower. "Come along, and keep quiet," the Snape beside him said and moved so fast Harry had to jog to keep up with the older wizards long steps. They arrived just in time to see Snape pointing his wand at Harry's head, as they approached the other Snape and Harry slowly disappeared.

They could see the Death Eaters from below, Bella was urging her nephew, "This is your moment, do it! Go on Draco. NOW!"

Suddenly Snape waved his wand in an arch motion and the Death Eaters dropped to the floor one by one, just like dominoes.

Wasting no time Snape mounted the spiral staircase to the tower, and rushed to Dumbledore, who slumped; his long frame dropping like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

"Professor!" gasped Harry in horror as he and Snape ran to the headmaster at the same time.

Oh Gods, please don't let him be dead.

Snape did not hesitate. He knelt beside the headmaster and felt for a pulse. The DADA professor then placed his hand flat against Dumbledore's chest and felt the erratic heartbeat. His breaths were becoming short and labored.

"Is he alive?" Harry asked, but his voice was so quiet that Snape almost missed it.

The DADA professor shook his head as he run his right hand over the prone figure's torso murmuring incantations, judging by the deepened frown on his face the results were not to his likening. The problem or what was affecting the headmaster was in his chest, right above his heart, Harry figured as Snape's hand stayed on the spot.

Taking a vial of potion from his chest pocket Snape pulled the cork stopper with his thump, but instead of giving it to Dumbledore as Harry expected him to do, the DADA professor drunk the pearly mauve potion himself. He then reached with his left hand and fished the ornate silver box out of his robe, flicked the lid open and withdrew a very sharp looking blade with a crystal handle. Snape closed his eyes momentary, took a deep breath and murmured few words in Latin. The blade in his hand glowed softly in the moonlighted tower.

Then Snape brought the now glowing blade to Dumbledore's chest, and without bothering to remove his right hand, he plunged the blade straight through his own hand and into Dumbledore's chest (Harry winced and looked away) all the while saying an incantation in Latin.

As the incantation grew from softy spoken words to determined intensity, so did the blade's glow; until the tower exploded with bright light, it became almost blinding, enfolding both Snape and Dumbledore's bodies in a shower of light so powerful it lit the semi darken tower so brightly that Harry had to cover his eyes. They were completely surrounded by a strong whirl of gold and silver sparks, which spun around them beautifully, shimmering and entrancing the young wizard.

Eventually the light died, Harry blinked as the darkness of the night returned.

"Oh sweet Merlin," Albus Dumbledore's raspy voice whispered as he very slowly sat up.

Suddenly Snape slumped over and fell to the ground, tired and spent. The haze of sparks surrounding his limp body evaporated quickly as he lay panting.

"Severus, what…?'" the headmaster then noticed the blade held loosely in Snape grip, "oh Severus…" his voice catching in his throat and reached a shaking hand and placed it on the potion master shoulder.

The boy who lived stood still watching his mentor silent tears rolling down his pale cheeks.

Moments passed in silence before the two men regained their composure and stood to face one another.

Somewhere Harry could hear people moving, footsteps coming closer. The footsteps behind him skidded to a halt. Two sets, a gasped out "Merlin's beard!" from behind him told him that Bill Weasley was one of the two.

And then from his right came McGonagall's voice.

"Oh dear Goddess Albus, what's going on here?" she started, swaying a little at the sight of the deep wound in Snape's right hand and the shining blade in his left.

Snape's black eyes seemed to take a moment to focus, his voice sounded a little strained when he spoke "Nothing to worry about, Maderjan" and he slowly pocketed the knife.

It had been inevitable, there was no other explanation.

Bill stared, wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the now-conspicuous bandage on Snape's hand, his eyes following the wizard's other hand as he pocketed one of the most sought after artifacts in the Wizarding world.

Mediat El Shifa as they called it in Egypt, better known as the Healing-knife in Britain.

To say that he was impressed would be an understatement. As a curse breaker, William was familiar with the Healing-knife history. He'd read about it in old tomes with almost faded illustrations. It was an ancient ritual; pushing some of your life force- magic, blood and soul- through the blade into the dying person. It was used only by the most accomplished healers. However, the practice was nearly two millennia old and died out along with the wizards who used to practice it. Legend has it that only Merlin's apprentice could pull off such an impressive feet. To have a wizard like Snape performing that kind of ancient not to mention very rare magical ritual, told Bill a lot about his erstwhile potion master; so little they all knew about probably one of the most powerful wizards that ever came to Hogwarts.

Harry was staring at the bodies on the ground, and the bodies stared back at him, or rather they stared vacantly at the sky, a semi-amused smile still on some of their lips. It had been too easy for Snape; it had taken no effort at all. Just a point of the wand and a murmured curse, he had underestimated that particular wizard's power.

Harry frowned down at Malfoy's body and finally looked to Dumbledore who was still slightly pale but was smiling nevertheless.

"We shall call the Aurors," Bill said at length.

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Weasley," Snape said, withdrawing two vials of potion from his robes.

"Dear me, child, is that…" the headmaster's voice was incredulous, as he saw what his Defence professor was holding.

The newest brew of Severus Snape: Resh-meh.

The potion will work as a liquid Imperius Curse but with ever lasting effect and with no physical alerts to the person.

What's more the potion had an advantage over the unforgivable curse, it couldn't be detected in the drinker system by any means of magic. Moreover, since Snape was the inventor, Resh'meh had no antidote.

"Indeed," the Defence professor said, 'why soil our hands with this scum,' he jerked his head towards the stunned figures on the floor, "let the Dark Lord do the dirty job for us,"

Dumbledore was under no illusion that Tom will discover his followers' change of heart sooner rather than later, however the light shall benefit from a couple of days of peace or as long as it lasts.

Snape proffered one of the glass phials to Bill. "Three drops each" he instructed, pausing a beat, looking down at Draco. "But leave him,"

"Yes, sir" Bill crouched beside each Death Eater, forced their jaw open to administer the potion on their tongue.

"I believe you should call Lupin, Headmaster," Snape said.

"Why should I need to call Remus, my boy?" It seemed that Albus Dumbledore was in for yet another surprise from his youngest faculty member.

"Well," Severus started slowly. "I believe Lupin had been inflicted by this beast a long time ago, yes?" he rolled Fenrir Greyback over with the toe of his well polished shoes.

It took a moment for the headmaster to realize what Snape meant, but then his eyes widened in understanding and his face split into a wide smile. "Oh! Severus, my boy," he said affectionately putting a hand on his Defence Master shoulder and squeezed fondly. "You are ingenious!"

With the help of the potion to alter Greyback's behavior he will participate willingly in the breaking curse ceremony where Remus and Fenrir will stand facing each other a day prior to the full moon before a shimmering cauldron of the La'nat-Shekan draught, with a third party between them - who will be acting as a channel- to perform the age old ritual: drawing blood from Greyback and adding it to the brew, both werewolves will have to stir the potion while the third person chants incantations in Latin. And finally having Remus drink the brew.

"What about Mr. Malfoy?" McGonagall asked her eyes darted from the boy to the two men.

Dumbledore approached her, his gaze returning to the Death Eaters' bodies, he crouched beside Malfoy and looked into the still face; Snape was standing beside him, looking down at Draco with a solemn expression on his face.

"What do you intend to do with him, Severus?"' he asked though he seemed to know the answer.

"Exactly what I said will happen shall he attempt another murder, Headmaster," he said in an exceedingly soft but deadly tone that made Harry only too happy not to have any further dealings with the man.

"Oh and Potter?" Snape said as he swept past the younger wizard.

"Yes Professor?"

"Five points from Gryffindor,"

"What did I do?" Harry said indignantly before he could stop himself, making Bill chuckle.

Snape paused at the top of the stairs to look at the boy, "As hard as it is to believe, nothing this time," he raised one of those silently expressive eyebrows. "However, it shall bring me some modicum of joy for the night," and with that he left in a flurry of robes, gracefully and speedily ascending the stone steps.

"It's Christmas, Severus," Dumbledore called after the retreating form, his eyes twinkling, as he followed his DADA professor, "Make it fifty," he winked at Harry over his shoulder.

~0~

It came as no surprise for Harry when Slytherin won the House Cup at the end of the year, because no matter how hard they worked, Gryffindor didn't seem to get even with the house of snake.

Those fifty five points were just so out of reach.

**GLOSSARY**

Maderjan: Dear mother

Resh'meh: Reins

La'nat-Shekan draught: curse breaking draught

What can I say, I've always liked the idea of Snape/Minerva mother son relation.

If you want to read further about the Healing Knife, then you should check my other story "One Sweet Day" chapter 3.

I might be persuaded to write a sequel to this story in which we find out what Snape intends to do with Draco Malfoy. If you like so, please let me know.

Here's the article that inspired me to write this story:

"If you watch the film carefully, there are performance moments that are quite extraordinary, Alan Rickman especially. There is something we added that you can look forward to, a short scene between Harry and Snape prior to the big event. It'll be interesting to see how it plays to the audience. It should be a haunting moment for Harry. I just had a notion about a moment between him and Snape, something Harry could look back on and question as to why he didn't act differently."


End file.
